As a Scientist, Do Factual Mistakes in Entertainment Bug You? We Can Fix That!

JMC’s own Dr. Yost-Daljev and Dr. Van have joined a distinguished group of top scientists and engineers available to act as subject matter experts for film and television.

The Science & Entertainment Exchange (The Exchange) is a program of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) that connects entertainment industry professionals with top scientists and engineers to create a synergy between accurate science and engaging storylines in both film and television programming. From a quick fact check to a special briefing, The Exchange provides quick and easy access to experts from all the scientific disciplines. The goal of The Exchange is to use the vehicle of popular entertainment media to deliver sometimes subtle, but nevertheless powerful, messages about science that catalyze more storytelling grounded in authentic science, encourage the depiction of richer, more diverse STEM characters in order to challenge traditional stereotypes, and inspire new media projects driven by science and engineering themes.

Chartered by Congress in 1863 under an Act signed by Abraham Lincoln to provide critical scientific advice to the nation, the National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit institution in Washington, DC. Relying on the uncommon connections available to the NAS, The Exchange has facilitated more than 2,500 expert consultations since the program launched in 2008. Exchange consultations wield influence over content in production and development, improving the explanation of science concepts, the quality of dialogue, and even the characterization of scientists. To encourage greater communication and understanding between the science community and entertainment industry, The Exchange has also hosted more than 275 special events and exclusive tours. The events and tours offer an opportunity to introduce Hollywood to cutting edge concepts in science that have the potential to inspire new storylines and characters. The Exchange uses special events as a way to actively guide the entertainment industry in discovering the wealth of stories and characters that reside in science. And for scientists, The Exchange offers an opportunity to expand the reach of their work, moving their research out of the lab and into the public eye, offering the promise to improve attitudes toward science and galvanizing interest in further discovery.

The Exchange as invested 10 years in working closely with the Hollywood community to foster and incubate a collaborative community of scientists, engineers, and entertainment industry professionals to generate science-inspired film, television, and video game projects that have the potential to impact the next generation of scientists and engineers. By community building in Hollywood, we communicate directly with the public through the characters they know and trust to bring more science into the nation’s living rooms.